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Charles XII of France
Charles XII '''(Charles Raphael; 12th March 1698 - Présent), popularly known as ''the Father King, is the fifth monarch of the House of Artois to rule as King of France and Navarre, having reigned since the death of his father Charles XI in 1700. Charles has been the longest reigning monarch of France in its history, having ruled from the age of two up until the present day. As a result, the first eleven years of Charles' reign were led by the regency of his mother, Marie Josephe d'Autriche. He was declared to have reached the age of majority and began his personal rule in 1711, when he reached the age of thirteen. Charles XII has been known as a traditional, just and fair monarch by the people of France. He has earned an adoration and respect across the nation for his long service as King, as well as his apparent good administration which brought France years of prosperity. The first decades of his reign were filled with glories and achievements, though an apparent change was noted in the King from the 1750's, with the death of his eldest son and heir changing his attitude towards others. Despite his withering and fall in his ability, he retains the love of the common people. Early Life (1698 - 1700) Birth Charles XII was born as Charles Raphael de France on March 12th, 1698 at the royal residence, le Château de Fontainebleau. He was born the second child and eldest son of King Charles XI and his wife, Queen Marie Josephe. His birth finally secured the succession to the throne, bringing joy to the royal court and to the nation as a whole. A thunderous applaud was said to have filled the birthing chamber as the gender of the child was announced to be a male, for France now had a future King. The boy was born healthy, strong and energetic. According to his mother, the Queen, the child smiled at her as he was handed over. He earned the instant love of his parents and the nation as a whole, for the birth of the new Dauphin was celebrated all across the Kingdom. Many cities and towns filled fountains with champagne and held open celebrations on the streets as a result of his birth. The day was recalled by those who remembered it as "le Jour du Dauphin". Baptism His mother wished for the future King to be baptised as soon as possible and so he was baptised in the grand chapel at Fontainebleau before the whole court ten days after his birth. His baptism was performed by the then Cardinal-Protecteur de France, Louis Henri de Lorraine. Acting as his godparents were Pope Innocent XII (represented by his uncle, Louis) and his grandmother, Queen-Dowager Marie d'Espagne. There was an opulent ball and celebration on the day of the baptism, with many great names of France in attendance at the Château for the symbolically important occasion. The young Dauphin was presented formally for the first time alongside his parents, which was greeted with a round of applause from the attendees. It was said to be a promising start for the next King and part of his mother's plan to give her son the best impression on his future nobility as she could at a young age. At the same ceremony, he was formally invested as Dauphin by his father, though in practice he was known by the title from the moment of his birth. It was nonetheless a moment rich in symbolism for the future King, legitimising his rights as heir to the throne. Many foresaw a promising future for the young heir, though his mother was more sceptical. She was an overprotective woman from the very beginning, dedicated to nothing but the safety, well-being and upbringing of her eldest son. Early Years Charles was remembered by those closest to him, such as his elder sister Marie Thérèse, as a jovial and happy young boy. He was playful and carefree in his earliest years, being described as "joyful and lovely" ''by his mother. He was placed under the care of Marie Louise de Rohan, ''Gouvernante des Enfants de France, though his mother also played an active hand in the upbringing of her eldest son. Madame de Rohan was snickered at for being governess in all but name, for quite non-traditionally the Queen herself played the greatest role in his upbringing. She was an incredibly protective woman, fretting over every minor detail of the upbringing of her children, though in her eyes Charles outshined Marie Thérèse in every way and later his younger brother, Louis Charles. Though Marie Thérèse would not blame Charles for the neglect, Louis would turn against his brother over it all, creating animosity between the siblings. Nonetheless, he had a happy first few years while Dauphin. Nonetheless, the main focus from his very first days was preparing him for rule, as he would one day inherit the throne and rule as King. He was given an advanced education from a very early age, being rigorously trained to talk, write and read from such a young age. It was so often and vigorous that Charles grew to hate his tutors for it, though it did have a positive effect. By age one, he could speak in almost full sentences and was being taught to read. Though these things were tried during his earliest years, he would not begin his formal education for some more years. During this time, he became accustomed to the opulent lifestyle he would lead and developed a certain taste for the finer things in life. He was noted to be incredibly picky, specific and even needy. This was believed to have come as an effect of his mother's overly coddling and pampering him, though it seemed to be even more of a picky nature than was normal. Madame de Rohan wrote that, "The young Dauphin is extremely picky. He does not seem willing to play with anything unless it is brand new. Anything that has been used before, he shuns". ''This made his nannies believe him to be a difficult child, becoming exasperated with the Dauphin over his obsessive and demanding personality. Things would take a drastic turn, however, when his father Charles XI fell deathly ill with smallpox in 1700. Minority Reign (1700 - 1711) '''Ascension' Charles' father, King Charles XI, would succumb to his smallpox on October 7th, 1700. It had been compounded by his father's lifelong ill-health, which caused the disease to have an even worse effect on him. Nonetheless, with his father dead, the two-year-old Charles XII was left as King of France and Navarre. It was said that on that very day, Madame de Rohan had to bar the doors to the boy's chamber to prevent the thunder of courtiers from getting in, as was custom upon the death of the King. The elderly Rohan remembered what had happened when the same happened to Charles' father, remarking on how it had terrified him. She refused to allow the same to happen to Charles, which arguably helped him during the transition period. Meanwhile, his mother Marie Josephe set up a regency government headed by herself (as the King had left no specific instructions regarding what should be done). This helped ensure a peaceful transition of power, with oaths being received by nobility. As a result, his peaceful succession created a good mood for the inheritance. Across the Kingdom and French colonial holdings, the two-year-old was heralded as "Très haut, très puissant et très excellent Charles XII, par la grâce de Dieu, roi de France et de Navarre" ''which translates to, "Most high, most potent and most excellent Charles XII, by the Grace of God, King of France and of Navarre". It was an enormous responsibility he had come to inherit at too young of an age. Charles was moved from Fontainebleau to Paris, being installed in the Tuileries Palace while his mother would set up the regency government and handle affairs of state from the Louvre. It was believed that having the young King closer to the seat of power in Paris would help to legitimise the new government, which proved to be true. As the nation fell into mourning for Charles XI, the now Queen-Regent was busy tirelessly working to ensure the smooth ascension of Charles XII. She worked in collaboration with Charles' grandmother, Dowager Queen Marie d'Espagne (who had herself served as regent in the minority of Charles XI), which helped win popularity due to the perceived piety of Marie d'Espagne and her personal popularity with the people. A large household was moved into the Tuileries to tend to the young King, while his siblings Marie Thérèse and Louis Charles were also moved into the palace. Charles noted later in life upon how he was upset to have been moved to Paris, for he had loved Fontainebleau in his childhood. This would also influence his future dislike of the city. '''Upbringing and Education' Once Charles had turned six, he was customarily to be appointed a male guardian from amongst the nobility and be taken from his nannies. In accordance with the wishes of his late father, the elderly Prince de Condé was called to the Tuileries to act as the guardian to the young King. It was notable that the Queen-Regent took a less personal role in Charles' upbringing from around this time, being more concerned with the management of the affairs of state and the conducting of the ongoing War of the Spanish Succession. Condé often wrote in high regard of his young pupil, "The King shows great promise and potential to be a mighty King for France. In the ever-changing world we see before us, a decisive and dominant leader will be necessary for the survival of our ancient monarchy. God may have sent us a blessing in the boy". ''However, others were more sceptical of Charles. While it can be said that he had a certain decisive and authoritative nature behind him, even as a young boy, he was prone to excess, temptation and greed. Many feared another wasteful King like Charles XI, and as such Condé would attempt to mould Charles into an effective and uncompromising ruler. The Queen-Regent would also understand this necessity, attempting to drill in some lessons herself. With his position as King, there were great expectations for Charles. As a result, the Queen-Regent and Prince de Condé would push for an extensive scheme of education over dozens of topics deemed necessary for an effective ruler. To his credit, Charles was said to be naturally gifted and intelligent despite his lack of enthusiasm in his lessons during his earlier life. Nonetheless, Charles had a certain confidence and headstrong nature which helped him push forward through his education and succeed in most of his studies. He would do particularly well in languages, becoming fluent in French, English, Latin and Spanish by age 17. As he grew, Charles matured more to the point where he realised the importance of putting in the effort to his education. He developed a hard-working and diligent demeanour, which impressed the many tutors brought in to teach the young King in particular topics. These topics included theology, writing, mathematics, military strategy, history and many more. He became surprisingly especially skilled in military strategy, quite unlike his father had been. During his childhood, he often dreamed of leading the army on the field, which he would often play at with his small group of friends. He was also taught in etiquette, though he was already noted to be eloquent in speech and able to make polite conversation. '''Later Childhood' The young King had been educated amidst the War of the Spanish Succession, the largest European conflict that had been seen for decades. While his uncle Louis had taken the Spanish throne as Luis I, his claim was being propped up and supported by France under Charles' mother, Queen-Regent Marie Josephe. As a result, King Luis and Marie Josephe had forged a pact to help ensure Artois rule over Spain in perpetuity. As a result, the idea was formed to betrothed the young King Charles to the last Spanish Habsburg, Infanta Maria Fernanda (who was a distant relative to the last King Carlos II). The betrothal was a good idea in all, for it was believed that if the Austrian Habsburgs were able to take control of Maria Fernanda, they would be able to have one of their sons married to her and have a stronger claim to the Spanish throne. As a result, this idea was supported by many on the Conseil due to its practical necessity. There was opposition, however, due to Maria Fernanda's relative unimportance by this time. It was also in his later childhood that Charles would become good friends with Louis Charles Alphonse d'Artois d'Orléans, the future Cardinal d'Orléans. Though the King was seven years his senior, they were first cousins through Charles' aunt Charlotte. As a result, d'Orléans was appointed one of his enfants du honneur, ''an arrangement in which they became fast friends. This would prove to be an extremely useful and important friendship for the Kingdom, for in later decades they would go on to rule the Kingdom together and bring on an era of great prosperity. Meanwhile, Charles began to undergo the first conflicts with his younger brother Louis Charles during this time. His younger brother had grown resentful of the elder Charles due to the greater attention which was placed upon the King and the subsequent neglect felt by Marie Thérèse and Louis Charles. While Marie Thérèse didn't blame Charles, for they were very close, the younger Louis did not see it this way. There would be a growing divide and animosity between the brothers, which would go on to be a major conflict in the future and would not be forgiven until Louis Charles' death many decades later. There were known to be constant arguments and frays between the two, which created tension in the family. '''Nearing Majority' As he came closer to the age of majority, Charles began to attend meetings of the Conseil du Roi, to help prepare him for rule which would come in the next few years. It was as the insistence of his mother that the young Charles began to become more closely involved with the day to day running of France. By age twelve, power was slowly being transferred between the still legally active regency government back to Charles, though the regency could not be officially abolished until Charles reached age thirteen, when he could legally be crowned. He was also asked to begin giving greater input on matters presented to the Queen-Regent, all in an effort to slowly ease him into power and the responsibility of rulership. Charles would handle the growing pressure well, having spent much of his childhood preparing for his future rule. He was said to be wizened beyond his years even prior to the ascension, with excellent comprehension of issues ranging from war to diplomacy. He would further begin to help plan the War of the Spanish Succession, his opinion on issues in the war being taken into account by the leaders of the war. As the handover of power came closer, the regency council served in name only. Now, the King himself with a large amount of assistance from his mother would be handling administration of the realm. The young King inspired much loyalty in the people, for he was perceived as the image of purity and the new prospects of the new generation. This growing popularity would greatly help him in the handover of power, as well as his obvious capability and reputation with the nobility which would help ensure a certain end to the regency. He also agreed to the betrothal himself between he and Maria Fernanda of Spain, mostly due to the political necessity for the marriage to end the line of the Spanish Habsburgs and show a peaceful continuation of the Spanish throne to the House of Artois. It was decided that the marriage would only take place in 1713, at such a time when the King had turned fifteen years old, whilst she would be sixteen. By his thirteenth birthday in March 1711, the regency had ceased to exist in all but name. It would formally be abolished on the day of his coronation, as was tradition. Plans began to be put into place for the coronation, which was an important assurance of divine right to rule and in France traditionally took place in Reims Cathedral. Personal Reign (1711 - Present) Coronation His coronation was set to occur on June 5th, 1711 at the traditional site of the coronations of French Kings, Reims Cathedral. It was set to be the most expensive event in over a hundred years, as well as a huge amount of planning and execution. The Cardinal-Protector of France at the time, Louis Henri de Lorraine, was the cleric called on to crown the King. Hundreds of foreign diplomats and representatives of other royal families were invited to the event. Upon the day of the coronation, many nobles from across the nation flocked to Paris to witness the crowning of the young King. The elder nobility, who remembered the coronation of his father Charles XI, recalled that this coronation was far more grand than the one preceding it. Historians looking back on the early reign of Charles XII and comparing it to what he would achieve commented on the fact that the grandiose coronation helped give a sign of the glory and grandeur which was to come for France during the reign of the energetic young King. The ceremony went ahead on the day it was planned, calling hundreds to Notre-Dame to witness the event, the largest influx in the capital seen in decades. The coronation was a long and traditional affair, going on for many hours and being a full ceremony. The young King maintained his composure throughout the entire ceremony, which showed a certain maturity and a necessary affinity for the ceremonious position of King. Charles had himself placed atop a dais to be crowned upon his throne, as to place himself above the nobility. He sought to enforce the Divine Right of Kings, ''even from his earliest day as ruler in his own right. When the crown touched the King's head, the regency was officially over and he himself declared it as the proudest moment of his life in the future. The coronation was followed up with celebrations and a large procession through the streets of Paris. Fireworks were set off in the evening, which lit up the sky of Paris in colours which created awe amongst the people. Champagne was given out all around the city, while many street parties praising the young King were held by common people. The King opted to appear before his people, riding in an open-top carriage through the streets of the capital from Notre-Dame to the Tuileries, where the formal ball and celebration for the coronation were being held. Character Synopsis '''Appearance' Charles was noted to have a distinctive look about him. He stood far above the average height, at 6'2'' in his prime. He was a physically impressive man, able to appear domineering above many of his contemporaries. He was said to be somewhat handsome in his younger years, though not the most attractive man by any means. Further, the King valued appearances massively and was noted to be a large icon of fashion during his day. He always dressed extravagantly in vibrant colours and expensive fabrics, which became infamous as it seemingly drove his courtiers to the brink of bankruptcy. The King possessed brown hair and as such wore a powdered wig, as his hair was too dark to be effectively powdered itself. He was notably well-built, with broad shoulders and a body in proportion to his height. He withered in later life, however, becoming a shell of his former self by the time he had reached his 60th year. He had become so pale, he had his entire faced painted with rouge to maintain a facade of health. Personality Charles was a tirelessly diligent man in his prime. He put much effort into governing the realm, so much so that he could spend entire days working from dawn to dusk. This served to set Charles apart from many of his predecessors, as he had been the first King in some time to put more care into governing the realm than into his own personal pleasures. He was also shrewd and thrifty, possessing a large intellect. He almost tripled the treasure of the crown throughout his reign, showing his determination and tirelessness. Despite his diligence, Charles was notably vain and remained disconnected from common people inside his realm. He had a large amount of pride and was known to have a massive temper when displeased. His most fatal flaw was women, for he had a great love of the opposite sex. He fathered numerous illegitimate children throughout his reign, though he only acknowledged and legitimised his children through his most infamous mistress, Madame de Guise. For much of his life, Charles was overly confident and self-assured, rarely stopping to think twice about his actions. He was rather rash in his actions as a result, though often with the best of intentions. Despite his flaws, Charles was good-natured at heart. He was a loving father, grandfather and eventually great-grandfather. He also cherished his friends and was kind to most people. He was a dedicated patriarch to his family and to the realm, known to be incredibly proud of France and his heritage. Health Charles was perfectly healthy in his younger years, even possessing a certain strength and good figure in his youth. As he aged, however, Charles suffered more than most with the effects of age. He would put on an unhealthy amount of weight over the years, and would begin to suffer from numerous problems with mobility and pain. He would develop Arthritis of the hips and knees between 1753 and 1757, making movement extremely difficult and painful without the aid of a walking cane. Charles' eyesight was also impacted, as he would need to wear specialised eye-glasses for reading somewhere around after reaching age 50. He also suffered from the effects of high blood pressure, dealing on numerous occasions with headaches and fatigue. His personal physician, Monsieur Charpentier, commented that, "His Majesty is blighted by a number of issues. His nausea and dizziness is worrying, and it seems to impact him greatly. However, none of the issues plague him as much as his difficulty with walking. I have informed him that he is doing more damage to himself by attempting to continue on as normal, yet he does not listen. I fear he will eventually immobilise himself entirely with his efforts to carry on." Further, from 1759 the King began to suffer from occasional threatening episodes where he would lose consciousness for extended periods of time. This caused great worry among his physicians, though Charles ordered it be kept a secret lest there be a scare over his health, which he could not afford in a difficult time. The King also seems to display some evidence of depression. This is believed to have been brought on by the deaths of many close to him in the previous ten years, including his son Louis Alphonse, numerous grandchildren and others close to him. It seems that he also works through a significant amount of stress, brought on by the work-load of the King and his numerous attempts to continue on his pace in his younger years with his health issues. He also sleeps very little, leading to exhaustion and sleep deprivation. In public, however, Charles made every effort to appear healthy. Despite this, the entire court knew he was suffering. The fact that he could not walk without the aid of a cane, and even had difficulty with one, made many speculate on his health. In all, Charles was not a well man. It seemed to many that with each year that went by, his condition deteriorated. He himself seems to have changed as a person mentally, having become obsessed with the thought of death. Formerly dismissing it as many years away and not a concern, he has come to fear death and the wrath of God for his many mortal sins in life. He himself wrote, "With my last years on this Earth, I wish to make amends with the Lord for all the wrong I've done. God protect me." Popularity Charles was considerably popular across the nation in the early stages of his reign. He made frequent public appearances, which helped him be perceived as a monarch for the people. However, as his reign progressed his popular began to decline. By the 1750's, the people of Paris had actually began to resent the King. He was mocked as le Roi Fainéant (the Lazy King/the Idle King) ''and ''le Roi Absent (the Missing King/the Absent King). ''This was a result of the fact that Charles left Paris in 1748 following the death of his grandson Louis Charles, and has since not entered the city since that year. As a result, he has not been seen in the capital for almost fifteen years, with the perception of him as absentee becoming more prevalent. Further detrimental to his popularity, the King's agents were known to travel Paris ransacking salons and suppressing free thought amongst the philosophical populace. This led to increased unrest and hostility towards the monarchy in Paris. This culminated in the riots of 1758, which was a series of coordinated attacks against royal agents and disruption in their common activities. The city almost broke out into total revolt against the crown, with some factions organising a march on Fontainebleau itself (which Charles had not left since arriving there in 1748). The King showed his ruthless side on this event, setting a battalion of the Royal Army from the provinces into the city to put down rioters. The riot was violently suppressed, though none of this helped his popularity. He remains popular in the provinces and beyond, however. Ancestry Issue '''Legitimate Issue' With his wife, Queen Marie Fernande, he had fifteen livebirth children, of which eleven survived childhood. There were also three miscarriages and four stillbirths, amounting to twenty-two total pregnancies: * Louis Alphonse, Monseigneur le Grand Dauphin ''(19th February 1714 - 3rd March 1754) * Miscarriage (17th June 1716) * Marie Augustine, ''Madame Royale ''(5th August 1717 - Present) * Louis Seraphin, ''Duc de Valois ''(19th February 1719 - 14th October 1761) * Louis Antoine, ''Duc de Chartres ''(25th August 1720 - Present) * Marie Antoinette, ''Madame Deuxième ''(9th December 1721 - 10th December 1721) * Marie Adelaide, ''Reine de Pologne, Madame Troisième ''(13th April 1723 - Present) * Louis Charles, ''Duc d'Anvers ''(18th February 1724 - Present) * Marie Elisabeth, ''Madame Quatrième ''(26th August 1725 - 7th October 1725) * Alexandre Raphael, ''Duc d'Alencon ''(5th August 1726 - Present) * Stillborn son (9th June 1727) * Marie Sophie, ''Duchesse de Parme, Madame Cinquième ''(8th November 1728 - Present) * Jean Baptiste Honore, ''Duc d'Angouleme (13th September 1729 - Present) * Philippe Charles, Duc d'Anjou ''(9th December 1730 - 15th December 1735) * Stillborn daughter (16th October 1731) * Stillborn daughter (16th October 1731) * Louis Auguste, ''Duc de Berry ''(23rd November 1732 - Present) * Marie Jeanne, ''Madame Sixième (2nd August 1733 - 8th August 1733) * Francois Louis, Duc de Provence ''(18th February 1735 - Present) * Miscarriage (3rd June 1736) * Miscarriage (22nd September 1737) * Stillborn son (6th January 1739) '''Illegitimate Issue' Though the King did not acknowledge any of his purported illegitimate children besides the ones produced with Madame de Guise, there are numerous children commonly believed to have been fathered by King Charles under numerous circumstances. It was often noted that the King's look was easily noticeable in a child, for he had a distinctive appearance which passed to many of his children. It is common belief that there are even more illegitimate children than the examples that follow around France. The following is a list of children known or suspected to have been fathered by the King during his reign: With a maid in service at Fontainebleau, known as Mme. Charroux, he produced one child: * Elisabeth Charroux (6th March 1717 - Present) - adopted by her mother's husband and claimed to be his. Commonly believed to be a child of the King due to physical similarity and as claimed by Mme. Charroux herself on some occasions. In truth, the King's first illegitimate child. With Marie Charlotte de Normandie, Duchesse de Normandie, he produced three children. All three children were legally acknowledge and taken in as children of her husband, the Duc de Normandie: * Louis Joseph de Normandie, Comte de Maine ''(17th August 1717 - Present) - often nicknamed ''"Demi-Charles" ''for his striking resemblance to the King. Nonetheless acknowledged as a child of the Duc de Normandie in spite of the evidence. * Marie Louise de Normandie, ''Mademoiselle de Manche ''(19th January 1719 - 22nd October 1724) * Henriette Josephine de Normandie, ''Mademoiselle de le Havre ''(2nd February 1721 - Present) With his first official ''Première Maîtresse-en-Titre, Marie-Louise Clementine d'Artois de Conde, now Dowager Duchesse de Guise, he had twelve children. All of his children with Madame de Guise were officially acknowledged as children of the King due to their higher birth and were all legitimised by royal decree: * Marie Seraphine, Légitimée, now Duchesse de Rohan ''(8th February 1720 - Present) * Louis Claude, ''Légitimé, Duc de Villeroy ''(2nd October 1724 - Present) * Marie Louise, ''Légitimée, Mademoiselle de Maintenon ''(16th December 1727 - 10th August 1739) * Jean Alphonse, ''Légitimé, Duc de Chevreuse ''(3rd January 1729 - Present) * Louis Raphael, ''Légitimé, Marquis de Laval-Lezay ''(24th August 1730 - 7th November 1750) * Claudette Marie, ''Légitimée, Mademoiselle de Saint-Alban ''(1st September 1731 - Present) * Jeanne Adele, ''Légitimée, Mademoiselle de Dampierre ''(15th June 1734 - 9th September 1738) * Francois Gabriel, ''Légitimé, Marquis de Époisses ''(23rd August 1736 - Present) * Marie Jeannette, ''Légitimée, Mademoiselle de Ivry ''(23rd August 1736 - 29th December 1737) * Augustin Oscar, ''Légitimé, Prince d’Amboise ''(27th December 1737 - Present) * Lucien Baptiste, ''Légitimé, Marquis de Thois ''(3rd March 1740 - 14th October 1743) * Marie Clémence, ''Légitimée, Mademoiselle de Francières ''(25th July 1741 - Present) With a bedmaid to Queen Marie Fernande, he produced two illegitimate children, neither of which were acknowledged by the King as his, though the unmarried bedmaid insisted they were his children after she was dismissed from court by the Queen: * Louis Brodeur (19th November 1727 - Present) * Augustine Brodeur (27th October 1728 - 23rd July 1738) With Henriette de la Motte-Guyon, ''Comtesse de la Motte-Houdancourt, ''he produced five illegitimate children during their relationship. She was notably the wife of one of his ''Première Ministres, ''who was said to be completely unaware of his wife's affair with the King. All of the children were legally acknowledged as children of the Comte, though he was mocked as it was claimed that even a blind man could see the King in them: * Charlotte de la Motte-Guyon, ''Mademoiselle de Houdancourt (8th June 1725 - Present) * Claudine de la Motte-Guyon, Mademoiselle de Houdancourt ''(17th November 1727 - 20th August 1728) * Josephe de la Motte-Guyon, ''Mademoiselle de Houdancourt ''(3rd April 1730 - Present) * Therese de la Motte-Guyon, ''Mademoiselle de Houdancourt ''(15th May 1731 - Present) * Charles de la Motte-Guyon, ''Seigneur de Houdancourt ''(22nd September 1733 - 12th June 1747) With Gabrielle de Lorraine, ''Comtesse de Metz, ''he produced a set of twins who were both recognised as the children of the Comte de Metz. Although this is legally the case, even the Comte himself seemed doubtful as to their legitimacy: * Jacques de Lorraine, ''Seigneur de Metz ''(1st December 1737 - Present) * Jean de Lorraine, ''Seigneur de Metz ''(1st December 1737 - Present) With various other lowborn women, servants and other such staff members at the chateaux, there are a number of children rumoured, claimed or known to have been fathered by the King. Some notable examples of these include: * Auguste Beaumont (16th July 1728 - Present) - fathered with a maid in service to the Prince de Condé, physical similarities to the King led to common belief and rumour that he was indeed his son. His mother claimed that he was, though no recognition has come from the King. * Constantin Favreau (5th August 1728 - 11th October 1760) - produced with an assistant to the chief gardener at Fontainebleau, though it is doubtful that the King ever knew of the pregnancy or the child for the mother left the palace and returned to her village before his birth. People in the village remark on Constantin's physical similarity to the sovereign, however. * Corinne Moulin (21st March 1730 - Present) - produced with a Mme. Moulin, she is legally regarded as the child of M. Moulin, her mother's husband. She currently resides in Paris with a family of her own, with very few having a clue of her parentage. * Elisabeth Voclain (8th October 1736 - 13th February 1759) - fathered in the aftermath of a royal ball, for which her mother was one of the musicians for. Although physically similar to the King, there is not much belief that she is his child. * Antoine Séverin (4th November 1761 - Present) - fathered with a lowborn woman chance met on a hunting trip by the King, produced on the same day though the woman would never see the King again. In truth, the youngest of the King's illegitimate children. Titles, Styles, Honours and Arms '''Titles and Styles' * 12th March 1698 - 7th October 1700: Son Altesse Très Royale, Monseigneur le Dauphin, Duc de Berry * 7th October 1700 - Present: Sa Majesté Très Chrétienne, le Roi de France et de Navarre Charles' official style was; "''Très haut, très puissant et très excellent Charles XII, par la grâce de Dieu, roi de France et de Navarre" ''or '"Most high, most potent and most excellent Charles XII, by the Grace of God, King of France and of Navarre". Honours * Grand Master of the Order of the Holy Spirit * Grand Master of the Order of Saint Robert * Knight Commander of the Order of the Golden Fleece (Spain) Category:Monarchs of France Category:Monarchs of Navarre Category:House of Artois Category:Capetian Dynasty Category:Dauphins of France Category:Good Rulers Category:17th Century Births